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PUBG Dev "Concerned" About Fortnite Battle Royale, Pondering "Further Action"

Bluehole feels Fortnite is a bridge too far.

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) may be the next game that everyone's going to copy, but that doesn't mean the game's operator needs to be happy about it. After cries from its community over the release of Fortnite's Battle Royale mode, Bluehole has released a statement on the matter.

"We've had an ongoing relationship with Epic Games throughout PUBG's development as they are the creators of UE4, the engine we licensed for the game," said Bluehole vice president Chang Han Kim in the statement. "After listening to the growing feedback from our community and reviewing the gameplay for ourselves, we are concerned that Fortnite may be replicating the experience for which PUBG is known."

The statement further insists that Bluehole has no relationship with Fortnite and the company is concerned with how close Fortnite's Battle Royale is to PUBG.

"We have also noticed that Epic Games references PUBG in the promotion of Fortnite to their community and in communications with the press," Chang Han Kim added. "This was never discussed with us and we don't feel that it's right. The PUBG community has and continues to provide evidence of the many similarities as we contemplate further action."

Cover image for YouTube videoFortnite Battle Royale - Gameplay Trailer (Play Free Now!)

Bluehole is likely concerned because Epic Games just announced that Fortnite Battle Royale was going to be a standalone product. Fortnite Battle Royale is coming to Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac on September 26. It will be free-to-play, which could see the release undercutting PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds' sales.

It'll be interesting to see how the gaming industry as a whole and how various communities interpret Bluehole's statements. They sound like threats of potential legal action. Currently though, there is no lawsuit filed. It'll also be interesting to see how other planned Battle Royale-style games and modes shift in response.

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In this article

Fortnite

Android, iOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch

PUBG: Battlegrounds

PS4, Xbox One, PC

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About the Author
Mike Williams avatar

Mike Williams

Reviews Editor, USgamer

M.H. Williams is new to the journalism game, but he's been a gamer since the NES first graced American shores. Third-person action-adventure games are his personal poison: Uncharted, Infamous, and Assassin's Creed just to name a few. If you see him around a convention, he's not hard to spot: Black guy, glasses, and a tie.

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